Filing equipment



April 2, 1935. Al E, PFEIFER ET AL 1,996,523

FILING EQUIPMENT Filed Jan. 20,v 1954 MU JWM@ will MWfM//w INVENTORS.

1&9 BY

THEIR ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 2, 1935 UNITED FILiNG EQUIPMENT Averill B. Pfeifer and Leroy Il. lliov'very. Cleveland, Ohio ""4 Application-January zo, 1934, serial No. 707.5;2 i

Our invention is an improvement in filing apparatus and relates more particularly to means whereby heavy file drawers or cases may be transported conveniently from one location to another in an office and positioned with respect to stationary racks or cases.

It is one of the objects of our invention to provide a truck or other ambulant means which is adapted to be positioned with respect to stationary racks or cases so that the transportation of le drawers, cases, sections or the like from one position or location to another, may easily and readily be accomplished.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a device which is extremely simple in construction and which is so constructed that it may be used conveniently with le cases, drawers or racks of various makes and designs.

Other objects and advantages of our invention will become more apparent from the following description of an embodiment thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which like reference characters are employed to designate like parts throughout.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a device embodying our invention and illustrates the same in use; and

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same and shows how the truck may be properly alignedwith the table or other stationary support for depositing or receiving a file case, drawer, or the like.

We have found that our invention is particularly useful where file cases, drawers or racks are in constant use, such as in posting, where the clerk has occasion to use the bulky units one at a time at some location remote from the usual place allotted for these units. In this connection it will readily be seen that considerable time-and elort will be saved in transporting these file units by means of our invention.

Also in large oiiices, it is sometimes customary to use a large number of filing devices such as cases, drawers, racks, etc., and often it is desirable to keep the most active files in places where they may be referred to and inspected constantly, as distinguished from other files which are more or less inactive and which may be kept in some remote place or store room. In such instances, however, each inspection of the latter requires the clerk to go to the lle thereby resulting in considerable loss of time. It often becomes desirable to have Such inactive files moved to a position close to certain active les.

Ourinvention is designed to save time "andi effortfin handling and inspecting files" of this kind and to render such files more easily accessible with respect to other iles whichl are constantly used.

In carrying out our invention, we have provided an ambulant carrier-or truck I supported on swivelled. rollers or castors 2. Preferably, `the truck body is constructed of sheet metal `and may be provided with shelves 3 for carrying books or other articles. The top portion of the body is provided with a pair of rails or members 4 and 5 on which are rotatably mounted the rollers 6. The rollers project slightly above the top surface of the rails so as to engage the bottom wall of a le case or drawer 'I. The rollers 6 are preferably of the antifriction type to permit ease of sliding the case or drawer 'I on and off the carrier.

In further carrying out 'our'inventiom a stationary support or table 8 isprovided at a'point where the clerk can conveniently examine the desired files. This table is likewise provided with spaced rails 9 upon which are mounted antifriction rollers Ill. The table 8 is preferably constructed of suicient width as shown in Figure 2, to support a number of file cases or drawers yplaced side by side, and is therefore provided with spaced rails and rollers at points where the cases are to be deposited. It will be noted that when the truck is backed up to the table in position to deposit or receive a drawer or case,'the rails 4 andl 5 and the rails I0 will be in substantial alignment both longitudinally and vertically thus enabling the drawer to be shifted from one to the other Without jarring or lifting.

We have also provided cooperating means between the table 8 and the truck I forl guiding the latter into proper alignment with that portion of the table selected to receive a file. means includes a pair of pointed members I I carried by the truck body and so spaced that their outer inclined walls I2 will engage the inner inclined walls I3 of similar members I4 carried by the table 8. The guides I4 on the table maybe spaced at intervals as shown moreclearly in Figure 2. In this manner the truck may be positioned properly adjacent any one of the sections I5 of the table to receive or discharge a file drawer or case.

It will be seen that the truck 8 isiprovided with a pair of upwardly extending anges I6 along its sides. These flanges overlie the bottom portion of a file placed on the carrier and tend to prevent displacement thereof laterally. After a file case has been deposited on the carrier, a latch I'I transportingfhavyler cases tovarious parts of an oice, and, as such, greatly reduces the manual labor and waste of time now experienced in such-` practices. y K

Various changes in-the details of construction and arrangement of parts maybe Amade Without y `port having rollers projecting above its top surdeparting from the spirit of our inventionvor the scope of the appended claims.

We claimzl. In a device of the class described a station-y ary support for filing units, the upper surface of saidsupport beingrdivided into' aAplurality of le unit receiving sections, rollers positioned along the sides of said sections, a movable support for transporting units to and from said station and support, and means associated with both said supports to properly align them laterally to a designated section for delivery of a unit from one support to4 the other.

2. In a device of the class described a stationary support for filing units, the upper surface of said support being divided intoa plurality of file unitv receiving sections, rollers positioned along the sides of said sections, a movable support for transporting units to and from said station and ports to properly align them for delivery of a unit from one support to the other, said movable supface for movably supporting a file unit thereon,

and a latch on said movable support for locking a unit onthe same against displacement from the support.

. i- AVERILL B; PFEIFER. LEROY D. MOWERY. 

